AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 78
Episode 8-5
It’s the 17th day since I became the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly store.
As part of the test for our free round-trip carriage service, I went to the nearest town with Chloe and the peddler.
“Hmph, that scoundrel! Still has that lecherous look in his eyes!”
“The merchant guild head probably doesn’t want to hear that from an elf with an overly dirty mind.”
After leaving the merchant guild, Chloe spat out her usual insults. She really didn’t get along with the guild head.
“So, Manager, what are we doing next?”
“Ah, there’s a place I’d like to visit. Would you two mind coming along?”
“W-What? ‘Coming along’? In the middle of the day, just the three of us? Are you thinking of saying, ‘Oh, so you want to be here?’ while we—Kuh… Kill me now!”
“Chloe, it’s that kind of talk that makes you worse than the guild head. Seriously, you’re more perverted.”
Indeed, the guild head might look greasy and plump, with eyes that seem to lick you up, but his actions are relatively straightforward. Even today, he could have used his position to obstruct our tenant recruitment but did nothing of the sort. His remarks might be snide, but they aren’t as blatantly inappropriate as Chloe’s.
“Ah, well, anyway, let’s go, Peddler-san. Chloe, you too.”
Thinking about the talented but troublesome former manager made me a bit tired. I sighed and started walking, determined to call out to someone for the tenant recruitment.
“Wait, Naoya, what about the carriage?”
“Naoya-san, please walk slowly. I’ll bring the carriage and catch up.”
I hadn’t forgotten, I was just relying on the peddler to handle the carriage. Definitely hadn’t forgotten.
As the peddler operated the free shuttle carriage, me and Chloe walked beside it.
“Naoya, are we going to invite them to be tenants?”
Seeing where I was heading, Chloe seemed to grasp my intention.
“Exactly. Look, they’ve been sitting on that recipe for ages without doing anything with it. They’re probably making less profit now due to rent, and they’re still paying for their space.”
My explanation sounded somewhat like an excuse. The sound of the carriage caused a young girl to turn around and meet my gaze.
“How about some galettes for a snack? Oh! Knight-sama! Naoya-san!”
“Indeed! I’ll take three! It’s been a while, so be generous with the toppings!”
“Hehe, okay, I got it.”
“Ordering food before greeting or inviting her… Well, I suppose that’s fine.”
As Chloe placed her order, the girl balanced a wooden tray on her stomach with a string around her neck, freeing her hands like a beer or station lunch vendor. She opened a ceramic jar, releasing a delightful aroma. Smiling happily, she scooped out the contents with a wooden ladle and generously spread a bluish-purple, thick liquid over the galettes.
Chloe handed over the money with a grin, received the galettes, and took a bite, smiling broadly at the crispy sound.
Eventually, I found myself eating a galette before even starting my pitch. The “galette with fruit jam” was as delicious as ever.
“Now, to the main topic. Do you have a moment?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, of course.”
The galette-selling girl smiled, but upon closer inspection, her clothes had more visible mending than before, and she looked a bit thinner.
“We’re currently recruiting tenants at our place. If you’re interested, how about setting up shop at Aion Mall Otherworldly store instead of here?”
Feeling nervous, I made my pitch about the tenant recruitment at Aion Mall. In Japan, we might have a lot of applicants and be in a position to select tenants, but things were different here.
“Eh? But I thought the shop was outside the town…”
“Ah, yes, that’s true. But we’re running a free shuttle carriage from the town to Aion Mall Otherworldly store, so you can commute easily.”
That’s right. Running a free shuttle carriage brings such benefits. Though it might not be possible to reach on time for the opening if you take the first carriage in the morning, and you might have to close up shop before the end of the business day to return before the gates close, these challenges are part of operating an Otherworldly store.
“For operating at our place, you can pay rent as a percentage of your gross profit. We can discuss and decide on the details.”
The peddler’s shop, which sells daily necessities of this world, also pays rent as a percentage of gross profit rather than sales. From my position as the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly store, the income might seem negligible, but the decision was made with the expectation that increasing product variety will attract more customers.
“This way… Though commuting will take time, I think your life will become easier.”
“Hah! If that’s the case, I can have galettes anytime I want! Wonderful, just wonderful! Girl, join ‘Tenant’ immediately!”
“Ah, it seems like there won’t be any worries about leftover stock. You’re way too eager to buy, Chloe. Plus, there’s Barbera and Anna-san to consider.”
The galette-selling girl seemed a bit startled by Chloe’s enthusiastic approach. Yet, she glanced at the remaining galettes on her tray, likely calculating the potential benefits of my offer. The girl from another world is resilient.
“So… would you consider joining us?”
“Huh?”
“Naoya?”
“Oh my, quite straightforward, Naoya-san.”
“It’ll be commuting for a while, but we’re also thinking about building a dormitory. When that happens, you and your mother can live with us if you’d like.”
“U-Um…”
“Naoya, that’s…”
“Oh dear, oh dear? Naoya-san, are you quite the smooth operator?”
“Of course, only if you agree. What do you think?”
I consciously smiled to put the galette-selling girl at ease. I waited for her response, maintaining eye contact. The girl blushed and lowered her eyes.
“U-Um! Naoya-san and I have only just met! And, uh, this is my first time… um, um, I…”
“Huh? What suddenly—wait, calm down.”
“Mhm? Naoya?”
“Naoya-san, could it be…?”
The girl started to panic, and I began to worry. Neither Chloe nor the peddler came to my rescue.
“Th-That’s it! I have to help my mother, so I can’t think about marriage right now! But if you said my mother could come too, then maybe there wouldn’t be a problem…”
“Eh?”
“W-Wait, girl! Think carefully!”
“Oh wow. Naoya-san, you really stepped in it this time.”
“U-Um! Even if you propose, I can’t decide right now! I need to think and talk to my mother and get to know each other better. So, if it’s okay, let’s start as friends and go shopping together…”
“Marria-… Wait. Hold on a second. Let’s organize this. Yes, let’s organize.”
Something’s off. The galette-selling girl had sparkling eyes and a high-spirited demeanor, Chloe looked teary-eyed, and the peddler had his head in his hands.
It’s the 17th day since I became the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly store. I thought I was inviting someone to become a tenant, but it seems I’ve made a mess of things.